How Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Josh Ross, Chris Hinton performed at the NFL Combine

Saturday was the third day of on-field workouts at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and the second that saw Michigan players participate. Defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, defensive tackle Chris Hinton and linebacker Josh Ross all took part in Saturday activities.

Here is a snapshot of how each Michigan prospect performed during the on-field portion of the event.

Aidan Hutchinson shines

Hutchinson’s (6-foot-7, 260 pounds) performance on Saturday solidified his standing as one of the best overall players in the draft. Earlier in the day, he took some shots from detractors about his arm length, which measured below average at 32 1/8th inches. Teams prefer their pass rushers be a bit lengthier given the long wingspans of most offensive tackles, so this naturally invited some detractors.

The athletic testing that followed probably winds up carrying more weight.

Hutchinson ran a 4.74 40-yard dash and 4.15 20-yard shuttle on Saturday night. His vertical jump measured in at 36 inches and broad jump 117 inches. He also posted a three-cone time of 6.73 seconds. Hutchinson opted out of the bench press and 60-yard shuffle events.

All of the above helped him post a 95 athleticism score on the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, which graded out as “elite.”

“Hutchinson is scheme versatile and should be a very good starter with a very high floor, but his ceiling might not be as elevated as some of the talent he’s been compared to,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes.

Aidan Hutchinson is a DE prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.86 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 20 out of 1389 DE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/GaNo2tViCr #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/i5qj6vl0nL

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 6, 2022

Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux is the player he is duking it out for with top edge rush honors on the line. Thibodeaux ran the 40 (4.62) but opted out of the other events.

“It won’t be close between him and (Oregon edge rusher Kayvon) Thibodeaux,” an NFC executive said in his combine profile. “Hutch is a dude. He’s a better worker, he’s stronger, he’s more productive. He knows how to play in both facets of the game.”

Michigan’s ‘other’ pass rusher

Ojabo (6-4, 250 pounds) tested as well as people expected him to, posting a 4.55 40-yard dash time and a vertical jump of 35 inches. His 20-yard shuttle measured in at 4.45 seconds. He did not participate in the bench press, the three-cone drill or the 60-yard shuttle. Next Gen Stats had him grading out with an athleticism grade of 84.

Zierlein writes:

Emerging edge defender who should see a substantial leap in play consistency with more time to work on his technique and learn the game. The upside is evident, despite his inexperience. At times, the run tape can be a rough study, but it improved as the 2021 season progressed. Ojabo’s rush approach is fairly sophisticated with the feet and agility to juke, stutter, spin and race his way past offensive tackles. He’s not ready to take on pro run blockers, but Ojabo is in the early stages of his physical and play development. It would be wise for evaluators to project and grade the flashes as a high-upside rush talent with 4-3 and 3-4 appeal.

The talk out of the combine was that he was a prospect with boom or bust potential. Some would not be surprised to see him as a more productive sack guy than Hutchinson at the next level. Regardless, it appears he has all but locked up first-round consideration.

Hinton and Ross’ numbers

Both Hinton (6-4, 305 pounds) and Ross (6-foot, 227 pounds) graded out with 51s on the Next Gen Stats’ athleticism grade, which is considered below average.

Hinton ran a 5.28 40-yard dash and recorded a vertical jump of 31.5 inches on Saturday.

“Early-entry nose tackle with good lower-body power but enough on tape to get excited about,” Zierlein said. “Hinton, whose father is a former seven-time Pro Bowler, can sit down and defend his gaps and offers up a good fight against double teams. He will be scheme-dependent as he’s unable to disrupt in the gaps or stay on schedule against move-blocking fronts. He has potential as a backup run-defending nose, but a lack of rush and explosiveness will hurt his chances.”

Ross ran a 4.79 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 31 inches. He probably winds up as a special teamer or camp guy at the next level based on his Michigan film and how he tested.

Undersized inside linebacker lacking the top-end speed and versatility to excite most teams,” Zierlein wrote. “Ross is an “intangibles guy,” offering terrific leadership and competitive fire to the defensive unit. He demands accountability for himself and others, but will struggle to make his mark on the field due to a lack of size and playmaking traits. He’s active and competitive, but offers no help as a third-down option and has tape that falls short of the mark.”

Coming Sunday at the 2022 NFL Combine

Michigan’s combine participants will finish out their work on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. Cornerback Vincent Gray and safety Daxton Hill are the final two of eight Wolverines to perform on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The broadcast begins at 4 p.m. ET on NFL Network. Stay tuned for a Sunday live blog at TheWolverine.com.